Back in February 2019, Netflix quietly released Russian Doll, to very little fanfare. Turns out, this strange, off-beat comedy-drama led by Natasha Lyonne was a smash hit and, luckily for us, warranted a second season. Even though the plot threads wrapped up at the end of Season 1, it turns out that there’s still more in store for our main characters, Nadia (Lyonne) and Alan (Charlie Barnett).

While we will keep it as spoiler-free as possible for Season 2, it’s impossible to talk about it without mentioning what happened in Season 1. If you somehow haven’t watched it yet, I highly recommend closing this review, clearing your schedule, and sitting down for a binge-watch of the show’s first season, which consists of digestible 30-minute episodes. Trust me, it’s 100% worth it.

If you did watch Russian Doll Season 1, but you can’t remember how it ended (it’s been three years after all), here’s a very quick recap:

Spoilers ahead for Season One of Russian Doll; you’ve been warned.

In the Season 1 finale, Nadia and Alan managed to resolve their mortality time loop and end the constant cycle of dying and reliving the same day. Having realised they had a missed connection and needed to help each other on that first night before everything drastically went wrong, they unite to save each other from their respective selves, closing off the timelines and coming out of the bizarre experience stronger, wiser, and somewhat more mature human beings.

So, with everything apparently so neatly wrapped up, where to from here?

Jumping forward to the start of Season 2, it’s been nearly four years since the fateful night of the time-loop, and Nadia is planning on, once again, spending her birthday quietly with Alan. Since Season 1, this has become an annual tradition on the off chance that time unravels. Again. It hasn’t so far, but that doesn’t mean it can’t… and we’re in Season 2, and Nadia is about to hit the big 40 milestone, so obviously, something’s going to go down.

The something that does go down is embargoed for spoilers, but what I can tell you is that it turns out there’s a fate worse than endless deaths. After a chance encounter, Nadia and Alan find themselves delving deep into their family pasts through an unexpected time portal accessed via a specific Manhattan location. The past isn’t quite done with them yet and, as it turns out, it’s not so easy to let go when there’s more to be learned.

The first season of Russian Doll was very unpredictable, and that unpredictability continues throughout Season 2. Even knowing more than the scant information we have provided thus far, it’s impossible to guess where the show is going – sometimes literally, as the characters don’t just travel in time, but even explore outside the confines of New York City. You might pick up a cue or two if you’re paying extremely close attention, but there’s really no way to guess where everything will end up. Our review is based on the first four episodes of the seven-episode haul and we have no idea where it’s headed next.

Lyonne herself is hands-on again with the series, as co-creator, co-producer, co-writer, and she has even more stints in the director’s chair this season. Her performance as Nadia is as delightfully nihilistic as ever, with the same balance of uncertainty, nonchalance and proactivity.

There’s also a larger role for Nadia’s bestie Maxine (Greta Lee), who gets to expand her “hey, birthday baby” repertoire into a chaotic, unhinged scene-stealer of a character. Lee is a standout in this role, turning Maxine into the best friend you always wish you had – the kind of bff that accepts and goes along with you no matter how crazy your schemes are.

In terms of familiar, and new, faces, Chloe Sevigny is back in her (literally) crazy role of Nadia’s mother, Lenora, in flashbacks. For our South African viewers, we also have a small appearance by Sharlto Copley in an ambiguous, maybe-good-guy, maybe-bad-guy role, in which he seems very comfortable.

The real question on everyone’s minds though: was Russian Doll Season 1 a quirky, one-trick pony? Can the team of co-creators Lyonne, Amy Poehler and Leslye Headland recapture the unexpected magic without falling into another time loop – which has become a rather tiresome and ironically over-done concept over the past few years?

Personally, I think that we have another winner. Season 2 was wise enough not to repeat the same formula; not really, anyway. Much like the characters themselves, we’re heading down a divergent path and we’re definitely not rehashing the same day (or the same concept) over and over again. We’re still exploring existential themes through an unconventional, somewhat sci-fi lens, and we’re still experiencing it all alongside characters we’ve come to know, but that’s really all the similarities we have.

Is this ride on the crazy train as enjoyable as the first season? It’s certainly different, and it certainly keeps you guessing. Personal preference will play a large role in how you feel about Season 2, especially in comparison to Season 1, but at the very least, you should give it a try.

Season 2 of Russian Doll releases on April 20th, 2022, only on Netflix


Russian Doll Season 2 review

Instead of rehashing the gimmick from Season 1, Russian Doll goes in a new, unpredictable and completely insane direction. But somehow, it still works, thanks to the incredible cast and fascinating quasi-sci-fi dynamics.

 8
Russian Doll Season 2 was reviewed on Netflix